For centuries, authors, artists and musicians have tried to capture and convey what it means to love.

Aristotle wrote, "Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies." Pablo Picasso said, "Love is the greatest refreshment in life." And Bette Midler dedicated her song "The Rose" to defining love.

Yet we have come to find that love is unique and personal, best defined by the actions of those who live it.

Take a moment this Valentine's Day to learn from eight different couples who taught us what love means to them.

Love is like sunshine

James and Colleen Pinegar are just as much in love as they were when they married 66 years ago.

Throughout their years together, the couple has made a point of lifting one another, which they sometimes do through song.

"We care about each other, and we do things for each other," James said in an interview with the Deseret News.

"It's all about caring, loving, giving, forgiving, sharing, helping. That's how our marriage is, and that's how we got to where we're at, I guess.”

Just shortly after Fred Stobaugh's wife passed away, he sat in his living room and wrote a love song. Life didn't feel the same without his wife, Lorraine, Fred said, and one day the words to the song just came to him.

Fred later saw an advertisement in the paper for a music competition and decided to send in his lyrics. But he never expected to get the response that he did from Green Shoe Studio.

"It was a wonderful 75 years that I just often think was kind of unreal, dreaming or something," Fred said. "But it was real. That's all I can say, it was real."

The opening montage from Disney and Pixar's "Up" has been watched and re-watched, usually with a box of tissues, by many hopeless romantics.

In the film, the happy couple, Carl and Ellie, are shown painting their house, having picnics, and simply sitting side-by-side holding hands.

Real-life struggles such as broken bones, flat tires and even the grief of not being able to have children are also shown in the five-minute clip, but the couple continues to grow closer through it all.

"The film has you reaching for a handkerchief as a poignant montage captures all the highs and lows of their life together," Hunter wrote.

"Even Charlie Chaplin would have to work hard to match this level of pathos. If the film had ended here, then it might still have deserved five stars."

Love is unconditional

Larissa and Ian Murphy started out their marriage with more trails than many face in a lifetime, but their love for each other has helped them navigate life's difficult path.

The young couple first met in college, fell in love and began discussing marriage. But a horrifying call one day left Larissa with a difficult decision. Ian had been in an accident and suffered a traumatic brain injury.

Through it all, Larissa relied on God, as well as her love and commitment to Ian.

"I still don't think that Ian would have ever left me if the role had been reversed," Larissa wrote in a blog post. "And walking away from my best friend was never truly an option."

This video "Enduring Love" was created as part of the Mormon Message project by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and shares the story of a couple who demonstrates pure love and service even as they struggle through physical trials.

"That's the objective is to have us look and say, 'Would I have that kind of compassion? Would I have that enduring love in those situations?'" Newbold said.

"The message that I would like to have people take away, on one level, is it is a selfless love. We reach out to people in service, in kindness or whatever — we show a level of love."

Love is one of a kind

Danny and Annie first shared their love story in 2004 when they spoke about their first date and immediate marriage proposal.

But after a sudden illness, the couple from Brooklyn, NY, decided to once again record their feelings about each other with Story Corp. The two interviews have been combined and animated to display their continuing love story.

"I could write on and on about her. She lights up the room in the morning when she tells me to put both hands on her shoulders so that she can support me. She lights up my life when she says to me at night, 'Wouldn't you like a little ice cream? Or 'Would you please drink more water?' " Danny said in the interview.

"I mean, those aren't very romantic things to say, but they stir my heart. In my mind and my heart there has never been, there is not now and never will be another Annie."

Love is unique — sometimes it wears tutus

Photographer Bob Carey hasn't always enjoyed taking pictures of himself in a pink tutu, but after his wife, Linda, was diagnosed with breast cancer, he knew he needed to do something drastic.

Carey grabbed a pink tutu and began taking pictures in it around the world.

The photos made Linda laugh, which made her feel better. But most of all, she was grateful for the support her husband continued to show.

“Oddly enough, her cancer has taught us that life is good, dealing with it can be hard, and sometimes the very best thing — no, the only thing — we can do to face another day is to laugh at ourselves and share a laugh with others,” Bob wrote on the Tutu Project blog.

Last year, Bill and Shelley spent their first Valentine's Day together as a married couple. They had much to be grateful for, and Brad Horn, a videojournalist with the Washington Post, gave them a chance to share their happiness with the world.

"Living together is a party that doesn't stop," Shelley said in the video. "When I'm working, I'm always thinking of him."

Despite their physical challenges, this couple knew their love was strong.